47 Indian fishermen arrested in Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistani authorities have arrested 47 Indian fishermen and seized their eight boats for allegedly violating the country's territorial waters.

The fishermen were arrested by Pakistan's Maritime Security forces last night in the Arabian Sea off the Karachi coast.

"The 47 Indian fishermen were arrested after they violated the Pakistani territorial waters. They have been handed over to the docks police for further legal procedures," senior police official Muhammad Khan told PTI.

Khan, who is posted at the docks police station, said that the Indian fishermen had strayed into Pakistan's territorial waters apparently due to darkness.

Khan said they will be presented in a court on Monday and later sent to jail for custody.

India and Pakistan routinely arrest fishermen on charges of entering each other's waters as the maritime boundaries between the two countries were poorly defined and many fishing boats lack the technology to be certain of their precise location.

Many fishermen languish in jail for months even after completing their prison terms.

Governments of both countries have from time to time released these fishermen from their jails as a goodwill gesture.

In February, Pakistan released 172 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture.